Refrigerator with removable wall



y 1967 o. v. SAUNDERS ETAL 3,320,764

REFRIGERATOR WITH REMOVABLE WALL 2 $heet5-$heet 1 Filed Feb. 1, 1966 S a5 W a/ m JIM w I z w Y 4 (w i P 4% 1 @fJ m 9 y i w. v a a a f w m m m mm 6 m MEL/,5 z m u w i n w n u r97 h u TH 27 #4. w K

THAEIR ATTORNEY y 3, 1967 0. v. SAUNDERS ETAL 3,320,764

REFRIOERATOR WITH REMOVABLE WALL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb.

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United States Patent 3,320,764 REFRIGERATOR WITH REMOVABLE WALL Orson V.Saunders and Paul E. Kronenberger, both of Dayton, Ohio, assignors toGeneral Motors Corporatron, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of DelawareFiled Feb. 1, 1966, Ser. No. 524,014 4 Claims. (Cl. 62-419) ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE In the preferred form of this refrigerator, the sheetmetal inner liner is provided with a series of apertures extendinghorizontally along the side and rear walls. These apertures are providedwith extruded flanges which protrude into a horizontal groove on eachside of a slidable horizontal dividing wall which divides the interiorof the refrigerator into upper and lower sub-compartments. This dividingwall contains an insulated duct system having inlets from eachsub-compartment and an air cooling refrigerant evaporating means withinthe duct means. The dividing wall also contains a centrifugal blowerhaving an upright axis of rotation and having an inlet connecting withthe duct means and one outlet discharging into the upper sub-compartmentand a second outlet discharging into the lower sub-compartment.

This invention pertains to two compartment refrigerators in which frostdoes not collect in either the above or below freezing compartments andmore particularly to a refrigerator construction wherein the entirecooling and air distribution system may be manufactured and benchassembled and tested separately from the refrigerator cabinet.

Refrigerators in which frost does not collect in the storagecompartments have become popular but remain rela tively expensive. Oneof the reasons for this is that such refrigerators have required theassembling of many parts in the cabinet while the cabinet is moved downthe assembly line.

It is an object of this invention to provide a refrigerator constructionin which substantially the entire cooling and air circulating system ismade and bench assembled and .tested separately from the cabinet as aremovable unit cabinet into above and below freezing sub-compartments.

'These and other objects are attained in the form shown in the drawingsin which a refrigerator cabinet is generally conventional, but isprovided with supporting means for removably supporting an insulateddividing wall between the upper and lower sub-compartments therein. Thisdividing Wall includes an air duct containing an air cooling evaporatorand a centrifugal fan located at the outlet of the air duct providedwith one outlet discharging into the upper below freezing compartmentand a second outlet discharging into the lower above freezingcompartment. The duct provides a false bottom for the below freezingcompartment on which ice trays and other products to be frozen, as wellas previously frozen products, may be stored. The duct is provided withair entrance communicating with both the below and above freezingcompartments. The wall also includes insulation between the duct and theabove freezing compartment as well as the drain and disposal arrangementfor disposing all condensed moisture and defrost water.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings wherein preferred embodiments of the present invention areclearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of a two-compartment refrigerator partly insection illustrating one form of my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal, enlarged sectional view taken along the line22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an irregular vertical sectional view taken along the lines33 of FIGURE 2; and,

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional view taken alongthe lines 44 of FIGURE 3.

Referring now more particularly to FIGURE 1, there is shown arefrigerator cabinet 20 having insulated top and bottom walls 22 and 24,insulated side walls 26, and an insulated rear wall 28 enclosing astorage compartment. The cabinet 20 may be formed of an outer metalshell 30 and an inner liner 32 which are joined at the front around thedoor opening by a conventional breaker strip 34. To provide a heatbarrier to prevent heat transfer between the upper and lower portions ofthe metal inner liner 32, the liner is provided with horizontal,elongated apertures 36 which extend horizontally in a series from thebreaker strip 34 rearwardly to the rear wall and also extend across therear wall. Each of these apertures 36 is provided with an extruded upperand lower flange 38 and 40. These flanges 38 and 4t; serve to provide asliding support for the removable dividing wall. Between the inner liner32 and the outer shell 30 above the apertures 36 there is provided glassfiber insulation 42 which is enclosed within a bag 44 to seal in theinsulating gas in the glass fiber material such as is disclosed inPatent 2,863,179, issued Dec. 9, 1958. This provides superior insulationfor the upper sub-compartment 46. A plastic divider member 43 isprovided in the insulation space beneath the bag 44 and is slantedinwardly so as to cause any moisture condensing in the upper portion ofthe insulation space, to be delivered to a suitable water disposalsystem provided in the dividing wall. The lower portions of theinsulation space between the inner liner 32 and the outer shell 30 maybe insulated with conventional glass fiber insulation 5t If desired,polyurethane foam or other types of plastic foam insulation containingan insulating gas such as is disclosed in Patent 3,217,362, issued Nov.16, 1965, may be substituted for the glass fiber insulation 42 and itsbag 44.

According to our invention, substantially all of the air cooling andcirculating system for cooling the sub-compartments within the interiorof the cabinet is embodled in a removable divided wall 52 which isslideably mounted on the flanges 38 and 40 in the side walls of innerliner 32. This dividing wall includes a foam type of insulation 54provided with horizontal grooves 56 on its side edges which serve asguide ways cooperating with the flanges 38 and 49 for slideablysupporting the removable wall 52. Above the foam insulation slab 54there is provided a sheet metal false bottom wall 58 for the uppersub-compartment 46 which is spaced from the insulation slab 54 toprovide an air duct 60 extending horizontally above the slab 54. Theduct 58 is provided with an air entrance 62 at the front whichcommunicates through the openings 64 in the front cover 66 with theupper below freezing sub-compartment 46 and which communicates through adownwardly extending passage 68 in the slab 52 with the lower abovefreezing sub-compartment 70. Within the intermediate portion of the duct64 there is provided a. fin and tube type refrigerant evaporator 72havair entering through the entrances 66 and 68, passes rearwardly. Atthe rear of the duct 60 there is provided a centrifugal fan 74 havingvertical axis of rotation which is driven by an electric motor 76directly beneath it. This fan 74 has an upper entrance 78 in the fanhousing 85) communicating with the rear of the duct 60 so as to draw theair through the evaporator 72. The fan housing 80 at the rear isprovided with an upwardly directed outlet 82 which discharges through aduct 84 into the upper portion of the below freezing sub-compartment 46.The fan housing 80 also has a downwardly directed discharge outlet 86which discharges through the duct 88 into the upper portion of the lowerabove freezing sub-compartment 70. The insulation slab 54 provides abottom wall surface 90 for the duct 60 which collects and conveys anywater resulting from condensation and the melting and frost from theevaporator 72. This bottom wall surface 90 conducts the water to a draintrough 92 which connects through the pipe 94 and a hose 96 to a suitabledrainage system.

The evaporator 72 is connected by flexible supply and return conduits 98and 121 which extend within glass fiber insulation 123 to the motorcompressor unit 125 and refrigerant condenser 127 in the machinerycompartment 129 beneath the bottom wall 24. With this arrangement, theentire removable dividing Wall 52 including the evaporator 72 and theremaining parts of the refrigerating system, including the supply andreturn conduits 98 and 121, the motor compressor unit 125 and thecondenser 127, may be constructed, assembled and tested separate fromthe cabinet in a bench type manufacturing operation.

Economy in the manufacture of the cabinet is obtained by making thecabinet similar to conventional cabinets. The cabinet may bemanufactured and assembled separately in a continuously moving convey orassembly line. When the cabinet has reached an appropriate point ofassembly, the dividing wall 52 and the remaining parts of therefrigerating system are brought to the assembly line and the dividingwall 52 is slid into the cabinet with the grooves 56 sliding upon theflanges 38 and 40 of the aperture 36 until the rear of the dividing wallis sealed against the inner surface of the rear wall. The sides and rearof the insulation slab 54 may be provided with. a

suitable gasket seal if desired, to prevent leakage. The supply andreturn conduits may be placed within the glass fiber insulation 123 andthe sealed motor compressor unit and the condenser unit fastened intheir proper locations in the machinery compartment 129. The drain pipe94 and the drain hose 96 may then be connected. This substantiallycompletes the assembly of the refrigerating system and the cabinet.Following this, the upper and lower doors 133 and 135 are hinged to thecabinet thereby completing the enclosure of the sub-compartments 46 and70.

By incorporating the duct 60, the insulating slab 54 and 1 the fan andmotor 74 and 76 in the removable dividing wall, the, economicalmanufacture and assembly of these parts by bench assembly methods ismade possible. Since all of these parts aer much more accessible whenincorporated in the removable dividing wall outside of the cabinet, thecost of assembly-is considerably reduced. Furthermore, the system can bereadily removed from the cabinet if there is any failure in any part andserviced outside of the cabinet with the advantages being ableto lookinto and clean the parts to quicker and better test and locate anydefective parts. The cabinet is conventional in construction except forthe slots 36 and the flanges 38 and 40 in the inner liner 32. Throughthis, the initial cost of the refrigerator as well as the cost ofwarranties and service, are reduced.

While the embodiments of the present invention as herein disclosed,constitute preferred forms, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted.

\Vhat is claimed is as follows:

1. A refrigerator including a cabinet having top and bottom and side andrear insulated walls enclosing a compartment, a removable dividing meanssupported. intermediate the top and bottom walls within said compartmentextending to the rear wall and from one side wall to the other, saidside walls having sheet metal forming their inwardly facing surfaces,said sheet metal having a series of apertures extending horizontallyalong said removable dividing means for reducing heat transfer betweenthe portions of the sheet metal above and below the dividing means, saidsheet metal being provided with projecting flanges bordering saidapertures for removably supporting said dividing means, said removabledividing means comprising duct means extending within said dividingmeans and air cooling refrigerant evaporating means located within saidduct means, and fan means for circulating air from said compartmentthrough said duct means and said evaporating means and returning the airto said compartment.

2. A refrigerator as defined in claim 1 in which said dividing means hasa laterally extending groove in each of its side edges, said projectingflanges bordering said apertures extending into said laterally extendinggrooves on'the side edges of said dividing means for slidably supportingsaid dividing means.

3. A refrigerator including a cabinet having top and bottom and side andrear insulated walls enclosing a compartment, a removable dividing meanssupported intermediate the top and bottom walls within said compartmentextending to the rear wall and from one side wall to the other, saidremovable dividing means comprising duct means extending within saiddividing means and air cooling refrigerant evaporating means locatedwithin said duct means, and a centrifugal blower having an upright axisof rotation located in the removable dividing means for circulating airfrom said compartment through said duct means and said evaporating meansand returning the air to said compartment.

4. A refrigerator as defined in claim 3 in which the dividing meansdivides the compartment into upper and lower sub-compartments, thecentrifugal blower having an inlet connecting with the duct-means andone outlet discharging into the upper sub-compartment and a secondoutlet discharging into the lower sub-compartment.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS WILLIAM J. WYE,Primary Examiner.

1. A REFRIGERATOR INCLUDING A CABINET HAVING TOP AND BOTTOM AND SIDE ANDREAR INSULATED WALLS ENCLOSING A COMPARTMENT, A REMOVABLE DIVIDING MEANSSUPPORTED INTERMEDIATE THE TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS WITHIN SAID COMPARTMENTEXTENDING TO THE REAR WALL AND FROM ONE SIDE WALL TO THE OTHER, SAIDSIDE WALLS HAVING SHEET METAL FORMING THEIR INWARDLY FACING SURFACES,SAID SHEET METAL HAVING A SERIES OF APERTURES EXTENDING HORIZONTALLYALONG SAID REMOVABLE DIVIDING MEANS FOR REDUCING HEAT TRANSFER BETWEENTHE PORTIONS OF THE SHEET METAL ABOVE AND BELOW THE DIVIDING MEANS, SAIDSHEET METAL BEING PROVIDED WITH PROJECTING FLANGES BORDERING SAIDAPERTURES FOR REMOVABLY SUPPORTING SAID DIVIDING MEANS, SAID REMOVABLEDIVIDING MEANS COMPRISING DUCT MEANS EXTENDING WITHIN SAID DIVIDINGMEANS AND AIR COOLING REFRIGERANT EVAPORATING MEANS LOCATED WITHIN SAIDDUCT MEANS, AND FAN MEANS FOR CIRCULATING AIR FROM SAID COMPARTMENTTHROUGH SAID DUCT MEANS AND SAID EVAPORATING MEANS AND RETURNING THE AIRTO SAID COMPARTMENT.